I either want local or I want elite

A while back DJ Charlie Blac made a guest post about the USSF Presidential Election for us... last week I posed a screen shot of something that he had written on Facebook and it has sparked quite the response.

I really think that he brings up points that should make every person who has said "the way MLS is ran was necessary to make sure it survived" analyze their thought process behind that statement.

Keep speaking up on social media and make sure you use the #ProRelForUSA hashtags when you are speaking about not only promotion and relegation but reforming the system in any way!

How the USSF's Professional League Standards hinder reform

A common refrains from anti-#ProRelForUSA advocates is..

They just need to start doing Pro/Rel if they really want to do it. Thing about that is... the USSF's Professional League Standards (PLS) make it not possible to pull off movement of clubs up and down the ladder of D1/D2/D3 as it is currently structured by the USSF.

THREAD: 1. The USSF Professional League Standards (PLS) are written to prevent the free movement of clubs via merit up & down USSF Pro leagues sanctioned as DI, DII, or DIII. #ProRelForUSA pic.twitter.com/qCWDYk5edf

— Daniel Workman (@danielworkman) July 7, 2018

2. The USSF PLS mandate ownership net worth requirements that will force most clubs to sell equity in their club to high net worth individuals to advance to a higher league. In USSF Pro DI-DIII, clubs with a plurality of owners including Supporter Owned clubs are prohibited. pic.twitter.com/JGrpszVda1

— Daniel Workman (@danielworkman) July 7, 2018

3. The USSF PLS has minimum metro market sizes for DI & DII leagues of 1M & 750K respectively for at least 75% of its clubs. This provision may be a necessary guide for franchise-based closed leagues with limited outlets, but it has nothing to do with on field performance. pic.twitter.com/k5XfGcpj2E

— Daniel Workman (@danielworkman) July 7, 2018

4. The USSF PLS mandates DI & II leagues must have clubs located in 3 time zones regardless of merit. In the unlikely event a merit-based league failed to have clubs in 1 of these time zones, an undeserving club must be added or the league would need a waiver. pic.twitter.com/SB6jWauD33

— Daniel Workman (@danielworkman) July 7, 2018

5. The USSF PLS also limits the ability of a merit-based league to follow a northern hemisphere/Euro league schedule of AUG-MAY & sanction as USSF Pro DI-III due to mandatory participation in events that operate during summer months like the US Open Cup. pic.twitter.com/gp2ZuNH0yW

— Daniel Workman (@danielworkman) July 7, 2018

6. If anyone thinks the USSF has not chosen sides with franchise-based closed leagues, this thread highlights a few of the USSF rules, bylaws, & policies that adversely affect the ability of a merit-based pro league system to operate with a divisional sanction from US Soccer.

— Daniel Workman (@danielworkman) July 7, 2018

7. Changes to the USSF PROFESSIONAL LEAGUE STANDARDS are necessary for merit-based, FIFA-compliant leagues to operate with a USSF DI-III professional sanction. Stadium capacity & proof a club can meet its financial obligations should be the only necessary requirements.

— Daniel Workman (@danielworkman) July 7, 2018

8. In England, the @premierleague & the English Football League have written their own PLS, not the English FA. It's clear that the current USSF PLS are not written with the intention or ability of clubs to freely move between USSF Pro DI-III leagues based on field performance.

— Daniel Workman (@danielworkman) July 7, 2018

9. According to https://t.co/rwbtxlBdZo here are the committees tasked with creating the USSF PLS & overseeing the Professional Leagues: (See attached images). pic.twitter.com/mu32jbGa2W

— Daniel Workman (@danielworkman) July 7, 2018

10. Although US Soccer does not currently mandate Pro Leagues to participate in its USSDA, it is implied & expected regardless of the [lack of] quality of the program. Most of the USSDA clubs do not even develop players for their first team.

— Daniel Workman (@danielworkman) July 7, 2018

11. The entire Youth-Pro system is scattered at best & in many cases entirely lacking the focus & aim of producing players for a First Team (global standard). When a system does not share this priority, its rules often reduce the ability of clubs to meet the global standard.

— Daniel Workman (@danielworkman) July 7, 2018

In my opinion and others (READ THIS GREAT MIDFIELD PRESS ARTICLE and THIS ONE)  it is going to take working outside of the USSF PLS system to start to create a pyramid based on merit. Hopefully those with the money to make it happen finally can see what so many of us have known for a long time. The system is rigged against those who want to see results matter more than expansion fees.

Keep speaking up on social media and in the stands! Make sure you use the #ProRelForUSA hashtag every time you engage in a reform minded conversation so that others can see and join in!

MLS Revenue From Pay to Play Youth Soccer and the DA

A while back I read an article about FC Dallas making $15,000,000 per year off of their pay-to-play youth academy that features 5,000 kids.

READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE HERE

I just haven't been able to stop thinking about this question...

What is the real purpose of the DA system in the US? Is it to create a better development environment for youth players or is it to aggregate the best paying customers in youth soccer in to the academies of the largest names in the biggest cities in the US?

Those academies would just happen to generally be MLS ones...

Let's take for example the Chicago Fire Jr's system. They have 16,000 players in their pay-to-play system from all over the country! How much revenue is this generating for the owners of the Fire?

Colorado Rapids have 4,000 kids... just those two teams make 20,000 more players.

I'm sure that these kinds of numbers are not unique across MLS. MLS owners are generating HUGE amounts of revenue off of the pay-to-play system of youth soccer in this country.

This expense and its reasoning attributed to Don Garber (IN THIS ARTICLE)...

"Ownership groups are starting to ask their front offices for more return on the investment. MLS commissioner Don Garber has said MLS teams spend north of $50 million per year on academies, with an aim on that money eventually bringing a return to the first team."

Seems to be a little bit off... the ROI is not in players for the First Team, but for money on the bottom line.

The DA system was created by the USSF in 2007 and we can see in about a decade MLS has turned this in to a huge piece of their model for profitability. I don't think it is an unfair question to ask if Pay-to-Play youth soccer is the most profitable part of MLS? Or even if it is the largest part of their revenue?

We need system reform in the United States if we ever hope to get out from underneath this system that depends on youth players parents paying exorbitant fees to play soccer.

Read my article on how it is impossible to divorce Pay-to-Play from #ProRelForUSA here.

Please keep speaking up on social media and calling for #ProRelForUSA!

How the rest of the world operates leagues

The purpose of the blog is to educate, to myth bust, and to answer commonly asked questions about our system in the United States and the rest of the world. There is a common misconception that when our seasons are and how they are structured is just a choice that is/can be made in a vacuum concerning the global context of the game. It can't...

THREAD: How the Rest of the World Operates Leagues

The calendar usually follows a Fall-Spring format. In the northern hemisphere, especially Europe, leagues typically start in August & end in May. pic.twitter.com/TZu1rqVtqi

— Daniel Workman (@danielworkman) July 12, 2018

2. The largest player transfer market in the world occurs during the months of June-August. If a league is in mid-season, clubs are less likely to make drastic roster changes including selling your best players knowing you have little hope of replacing them.

— Daniel Workman (@danielworkman) July 12, 2018

3. COMPETITION: In most leagues, every game matters. Every game has consequences. Clubs in leagues that operate using a single table (season long tournament format) are unable to take games off & wait for the playoffs. The pressure is high & clubs must rise to meet the challenge. pic.twitter.com/bx3hCwOZ9U

— Daniel Workman (@danielworkman) July 12, 2018

4. SPORTING MERIT: Participation in a league should primarily be based on sporting merit (on-field performance). @FIFAcom has clear rules that govern leagues including the use of Promotion & Relegation. #ProRelForUSA pic.twitter.com/4m0EsPZD3p

— Daniel Workman (@danielworkman) July 12, 2018

6. A system of connected leagues provide a path to the top & can be used to connect clubs across an entire country instead of select markets. These open, merit-based systems are often able to be reflexive according to the number & location of participating clubs. #ProRelForUSA pic.twitter.com/wAqRB0h5p7

— Daniel Workman (@danielworkman) July 12, 2018

7. A key cost of American Youth Soccer is travel. In leagues around the world, travel is minimized as much as possible. Local & regional play is preferred over national leagues. The reduction of travel costs makes participation more accessible & lowers operating costs. pic.twitter.com/rJ4VvTwIeA

— Daniel Workman (@danielworkman) July 12, 2018

8. In the US, our pro leagues are playing spring-fall. They don't participate much in the transfer market, & do silly things like playing All Star Games mid season. US youth teams travel too far too often & too much focus is placed on revenues over development.

— Daniel Workman (@danielworkman) July 12, 2018

9. A new philosophy & system is needed. The demand for change is higher than USSF officials, MLS, or the US Soccer media care to acknowledge.

— Daniel Workman (@danielworkman) July 12, 2018

10. Instead of trying to Americanize the game & doing things upside down & backwards from the rest of the world, we should play the world's game the world's way. #ProRelForUSA #SPTCforUSA

— Daniel Workman (@danielworkman) July 12, 2018

American Clubs vs Global Clubs

If you are not following Daniel Workman on Twitter. You absolutely need to be...

THREAD: American Clubs vs Global Clubs

A proper club is a generational club that provides an aim for players & a guiding light for player development. pic.twitter.com/TJ8gwMXwqM

— Daniel Workman (@danielworkman) July 11, 2018

2. A player economy flourishes in an open system with proper clubs. The US could & should be a global leader in talent development & player transactions. The current closed league system limits player wages/movement. There's also no compensation paid to US clubs for development. pic.twitter.com/jGHZXwaGta

— Daniel Workman (@danielworkman) July 11, 2018

3. SOLIDARITY PAYMENTS
If a transfer occurs between different jurisdictions when a player is in contract, the fee is then negotiable and 5% of this amount is then distributed pro rata to all clubs involved in his training since the season of his 12th birthday. pic.twitter.com/PtYHQ17gOg

— Daniel Workman (@danielworkman) July 11, 2018

4. TRAINING COMPENSATION
Training compensation is paid to all clubs who've trained the player from age 12 to 21 when a player's status changes from amateur to non-amateur. pic.twitter.com/t2ZQ5UzzOk

— Daniel Workman (@danielworkman) July 11, 2018

5. Much like the dysfunction throughout the USSF system, most clubs are not independent cradle to grave clubs. Instead most are segregated generationally as Adult Clubs (& often single teams) or as Youth Clubs (who don't have Adult teams). pic.twitter.com/feKxqB2zNN

— Daniel Workman (@danielworkman) July 11, 2018

6. Most US adult teams (Amateur & Pro), often referred to as clubs, were created without Youth Academies. Operating this way is problematic. These clubs always have to find players & hope they learn to play together. Player development is limited in these clubs. pic.twitter.com/F7XLnsDqnd

— Daniel Workman (@danielworkman) July 11, 2018

7. Most US youth clubs were formed without having First Teams. A First Team creates a defined mission, goal, & example for the academy players & coaches. Want players to dream? Show them the way to the First Team. Show them the path to the pros. pic.twitter.com/KFWbBCwZTu

— Daniel Workman (@danielworkman) July 11, 2018

8. The US needs cradle-to-grave clubs with a system that incentivizes merit for First Teams & their associated Academies. American soccer should be a land of opportunity for all who dream, work, compete, & win. #ProRelforUSA #SPTCforUSA pic.twitter.com/gEJ0WV8YKl

— Daniel Workman (@danielworkman) July 11, 2018

Every Community Matters

Last week I took a trip to McDowell County WV...

So I went to Welch, McDowell County WV today to volunteer with a free soccer camp for kids down there... If you don't know anything about McDowell County WV... it is where @Bourdain went when he came to WV... you should watch the episode. It was phenomenal

— Chris Kessell (@THEChrisKessell) June 30, 2018

McDowell County has 18k residents now... In 1950 it had 98,887... yes, in the last 68 years it has lost 80,000 residents.

In the mid-1980's US Steel Corporation cut more than 1,200 jobs. The economic impact of U.S. Steel's departure was particularly dramatic: personal income

— Chris Kessell (@THEChrisKessell) June 30, 2018

in the county decreased by 66% in one year. Housing values in even the most prosperous parts of the county plunged to devastatingly low values. Individuals and families who wanted to relocate outside the county were left with little or no equity in their property.

— Chris Kessell (@THEChrisKessell) June 30, 2018

People walked away from their mortgages and simply abandoned their homes to the lenders.

Not much has improved since then... poverty rate is around 40% unemployment rate is through the roof... through it all McDowell County has continued to produce some of the greatest people

— Chris Kessell (@THEChrisKessell) June 30, 2018

this world has ever known... If you ever watched the movie October Sky... Homer Hickam, a NASA engineer whose life, starting from his teenage years, was documented in the book Rocket Boys, which was later made into the film was from Coalwood in McDowell County...

— Chris Kessell (@THEChrisKessell) June 30, 2018

I had a great time volunteering in McDowell County today. 3 yrs ago WVU 4-H started a soccer club that has 130 kids. This is just people who want their kids to have ... something.

Soccer has so much power to bring people together...

— Chris Kessell (@THEChrisKessell) June 30, 2018

It has the power to sew the seeds of hope... to give power to those who feel powerless... and to let children know they are somebody in a place where oftentimes it might not be easy to see that yes, they matter.

— Chris Kessell (@THEChrisKessell) June 30, 2018

It has the power to sew the seeds of hope... to give power to those who feel powerless... and to let children know they are somebody in a place where oftentimes it might not be easy to see that yes, they matter.

— Chris Kessell (@THEChrisKessell) June 30, 2018

I'm extremely happy I went down to do this camp this morning.

Don't ever lose sight of the fact that sports are WAY larger than just winning and losing. They teach life lessons galore... they create community. I was yet again reminded of that today.

— Chris Kessell (@THEChrisKessell) June 30, 2018

DO NOT EVER TELL ME A COMMUNITY DOES NOT MATTER.

I don't want to hear it. I won't let you tell me.

EVERY SINGLE COMMUNITY IN THIS COUNTRY MATTERS.

— Chris Kessell (@THEChrisKessell) June 30, 2018

These kids deserve to dream. This community deserves to dream.

Quit robbing the children of these lost communities of their dreams.

— Chris Kessell (@THEChrisKessell) June 30, 2018

These kids deserve to dream. This community deserves to dream.

Quit robbing the children of these lost communities of their dreams.

— Chris Kessell (@THEChrisKessell) June 30, 2018

I had a shirt on that said "I am somebody" on the front...

A guy came up to me and said "thank you so much for coming today... I love your shirt... we just want these kids to know they are somebody" pic.twitter.com/1Hq6vzpYVq

— Chris Kessell (@THEChrisKessell) June 30, 2018

they said 300-400 people come on Tuesday nights to watch these kids games... the whole community comes and supports.

Think of what it would be like if they were allowed to dream.

— Chris Kessell (@THEChrisKessell) June 30, 2018

I know that #ProRelForUSA = HOPE.

Every community big and small deserves the ability to dream. Every child in this country who loves the sport deserves the ability to be able to dream about their place in the sport. Continue to speak up for lost and forgotten communities in this nation and advocate for #ProRelForUSA and #ReformUSSF.

To rob all opportunity from clubs, players, coaches, fans, communities, and owners in the attempt to create parity and security for the top few teams/owners.... seems un-American.

Happy July 4th everyone!